"Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family."
– UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan

Today, more than 90 million children do not have the opportunity to attend school.

Education is a human right and one of the most powerful tools we have to reduce global poverty. Ensuring that all children receive the education they deserve will help overcome inequality, improve health, and promote economic growth and political stability. 

• Barriers to Education
• Importance of Girls
• Global Response
• Sustainable Solutions
• Bonus Resources

Barriers to Education

In 1948, the United Nations ratified the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, proclaiming that all children have the right to a basic education. Yet, despite this pledge, over 90 million children still do not attend primary school. Some of the most common barriers include school fees, child labor, health crises such as HIV/AIDS, discrimination and conflict. The ability to attend school is only the first challenge; quality of school is also important. In some places, there may be as many as 100-150 children in each classroom and not enough teachers or supplies.

Importance of Girls

Educating girls can raise economic productivity, lower infant and maternal mortality, improve nutrition and promote health—including the prevention of HIV/AIDS—and increase the likelihood of education in subsequent generations. Yet, girls currently make up more than half of all children out of school.

When money is scarce, parents tend to place greater value on educating their sons, who are assumed to be the future breadwinners of the family. Girls are often expected to contribute more than boys to household chores and upkeep—making the high cost of enrolling girls in school combined with the loss of valuable help at home not worth it to many poor families.

Additionally, many schools are not sensitive to gender issues. A scarcity of female teachers, lack of bathroom facilities and tolerance of sexual harassment in schools make many parents reluctant to send their daughters to school. Concerns about safety also keep girls at home, especially in rural areas, where they may have to walk up to 10 miles just to reach their classrooms.

Global Response

The world has come together twice to make commitments to ensuring Universal Primary Education by 2015:

• In 2000, 164 countries committed to the Education for All goals at the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal.
• 189 countries agreed to the Millennium Development Goals for reducing global poverty by the year 2015, which include universal access to education and equal access among boys and girls.

While some countries are keeping their commitments to these goals, others are falling behind on their pledge to help all children receive a quality, basic education. Out of 22 developed countries, the United States is ranked 20th for its level of commitment to funding education.

Sustainable Solutions

Ensuring that all children receive the education they deserve will require a coordinated, global effort of individuals, communities, businesses and governments.

Wealthy nations must increase aid and forgive debt. Rich countries now give $2 billion each year to help poor countries pay for basic education. They need to give $10 billion more each year to put all children in school by 2015. The United States, for example, gives a total of $465 million each year—the approximate cost of building just 17 U.S. high schools.

Developing countries must work to abolish school fees, build more schools, hire more teachers, encourage parents and communities to invest in girls' education and create girl-friendly schools that are safe and without bias. Mercy Corps works with communities around the world to achieve universal primary education. To find out more about Mercy Corps' education projects visit: http://www.mercycorps.org/topics/education.

Bonus Resources

Global Campaign for Education (International)
http://www.campaignforeducation.org/

Global Campaign for Education ( USA)
http://www.campaignforeducationusa.org/

Basic Education Coalition
http://www.basiced.org/

UNESCO: Education
http://portal.unesco.org/education/

Center for Global Development – Rich World, Poor World: Education in the Developing World Brief
http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/2844

Council on Foreign Relations Center for Universal Education: The Case for Universal Basic Education for the World's Poorest Boys and Girls
http://www.cfr.org/publication/9739/case_for_universal_basic_
education_for_the_worlds_poorest_boys_and_girls.html

Sources